Support



June 13, 1939. D K CQPELL 2,161,855

SUPPORT Filed April 16, 19:57

INVENTOR Jgy/fe/ ff fave/Z M q? mafia? ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1939UNITED STATE surron'r Daniel x. Copell, new York, N. r. ApplicationApril 1c, 1937, Serial No. 137,162

omma (01. 248309) This invention relates to a structurally andfunctionally improved support and in its more specific aspects aims toprovide a support which may be utilized for general purposes, but whichis 5 primarily intended to be employed in connection with display work.

An object of the invention is that of furnishing a support with whicharticles may readily be associated and from which these articles may beremoved with facility when it becomes desirable to effect such removal.l

A further object is that of providing a support which, after an articlehas been .associated with it, will, under all reasonable conditions,retain such article against accidental displacement and which, moreover,will attractively support the article during this period.

A still further object is that of constructing an element of this naturewith which articles having extremely critical finishes may be associatedwithout there being any danger of the finish being marred or otherwiseaffected by contact with the upp rt.

Another object is that of furnishing a support which will be ofextremely simple construction and which may readily be associated withany type of mounting member and which, when so associated, will remainoperative for indefinite periods of time.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attachedsheet of drawing, illustrating practical embodiments of the invention,and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of support;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 and in the directionof the arrows of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a second form of support; Fig. 4 is a sectional sideview taken along the lines 4-4 and in the direction of the arrowsindicated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a mounting member, showing a number ofsupports in association therewith;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line6-6 and in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 5, and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a still further form ofsupport, as constructed in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention.

Viewed in one of its more simple forms, a support constructed inaccordance with the present invention may include, as shown in Figs. 1to 5, a body ill, preferably of rubber or similar material, as andformed with an opening which may be located on center. This opening II,as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, may be substantially circular, or as viewedat I 2, in Figs. 3 and 4, may be circular with recesses It atdiametrically opposite points in its edge portion.

A support of this type may be utilized for. the mounting of any numberof articles. To mention a few of the same, one only has to considerpipes, tooth brushes, toilet appliances and similar elements involving abody capable of being accommodated within openings l I and II. It isfound that to all practical purposes a circular opening such as H,usually sufiices to accommodate the article but in specializedcircumstances (particularly where the article is somewhat oval in cross-5 section) a suitable number of indentations or notches l3 aredesirable. It will be apparent in connection with these that thearticle, if of the outline described, may be inserted with its edgeportions extending at right angles to the so notches l3 and after thearticle is otherwise properly positioned it may be turned to have itsedge portions extend within the recesses or indentations. In this mannerthe mounting member or support will be maintained substantially free. 25

from distortion and will accordingly not present arrunsightlyappearance. a New with a view to permitting of a ready association ofarticles with these supports as well as a ready removal of such articlestherefrom, it 30 will be seen that in accordance with the teachings ofthe present invention the body it has been slitted, as indicated at M.Thisline of severance extends from the outer edge of the body to theopening formed therethrough and due to the 35 elastic and resilientnature of the body, it is apparent that if an operator brings thesurface of an article to be supported into firm contact, with the bodyand in line with this slit, the edge portions defining the openlngwlllseparate, allowing 40 the article to readily shift into the opening orbore H. In fact, as indicated inF lgs. 3 and}, the portions of the slitadjacent the outer edge of the body may extend angularly with respect toeach other, .so as to furnish a tapered slot ll aer v- 45 ing to guidethe article into the slit It so that it may enter the opening l2. As aconsequence of this construction, it will be understood that theoperator does not have to grip or otherwise manipulate the body",presundngthatthe same 50 is p p rly supported. but by simply shittingan article to be supported relatively to this-mounting member, thearticle may be properly associated therewith.

Inordertomountthesupportingmemberor l6 unit II, the latter may be formedwith a iurther opening to the rear of openings ii and it. Through thisfurther opening there is threaded a strip of metal It which, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, may have blunt end portions. Such a strip is obviouslydesirable for application through a mounting card or similar element. Asshown at II in Figs. 3 and i, the strip may have its body bent inwardlywith its end portions in face to I iace contact and the endsoi these endportions maybepointed. Inthismannera'spike-like element is iurnishedwhich may be embedded in a mounting suriace and incident to the face toface oontaotoitheendsofthestriptherewouldbelittleifanydanserofthispartbucklingasitis driven home in a supportingbody, Oi course, if a body is of relatively soft material, it may not benecessary or desirable to have the ends of the strip in contact witheach other, this being obviousiy a matter oi discretion according to theparticular association with which the support istobeemployed.

As viewed in Pig. 5, supports oi this nature may be associated with amounting member presenting a suitable'number oi recesses ll. While theserecenesmaybeoianareaequalto therearportion or end of the support, theymay equally well be slightly smaller than the adjacent edge oi the bodyll. Inthismannersuchbodywillbepiaced under slight compression.Accordingly. the edge portions, as deilned by the slit, will be pressedinto intimate contact with each other and what might be termed the armsoi the body will grip with even greater firmness the shank oi an articleto be mounted. Also, where a mounting member such as that illustrated isemployed, its body may be iormed with openings ll intersecting therecesses II and in line with the strip accommodating opening oi body IIwhen the latter is projected into the recess. Accordingly, a strip a maybe threaded through opening is and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may haveits body. extending throughthe opening in body I. to lock the latteragainst displacement with respect to V mounting member 2 I.

- openings 24 oi any proper configuration, these openings communicatingwith the outer edge of the body by means oi slits 25 which may have'their outer surfaces flared. In this manner a as shown, have its bodycurved or be of any other desired configuration.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that in all the several formsof the invention an article may readily be-appiled to or removedirom thesupport. When so applied the arms oi themounting will be separated to agreater or lesser extent depending largely upon the diameter of thearticle which is being supported. However,

regardless of the degree oi such separation, it is to be understood thatthe arms will constantly tend to move inwardly, so that the suriace oithe article will be frictionally gripped and the latter will be properlysupported. Such support is particularly eiiective, due to the relativelyreduced edge portions-where notches II or their equivalents areemployed, inthat the inherent resiliency orthearmswill'tendtowardproperandintimate contact oi the edge portionthereof with the article. After the article has been removed iron:

, the support, the arms will, of course,

to their initial position so that ringlike body is again presented, asthe left-hand side of Hg. 5.

Thus, among others. the several dileets oi the invention as aiore notedare achieved. .It will be obvious that numerous 'in' andrearrangemantsoithepartsr'aaybe to' without departing from the in- Vellum! deiined bythe claims. 1':

Ha thus'deseribedtbeinv ,,I 1. A supp rt includins a relativ s? thin 3g;body formed with an article within aperture by ar ticle to anoint adient ndorsement and pressing the same inwardly of said aperture while.wiping said i e slam the edge oi said body whereby arm portions will beflexed out oi'their normal plane-to widen the gap provided by said slitto an sifcli that the article-maybe received within said aperture, theresilience of the rubber suilioient to firmly grip against displacementan article disposedwithinsaidape'rture." r

body formed with an'alnr il e to-reeeva an e longated article having adiameter greater than that of the aperture, said being siit ed l om itsouter edge through to said am'r ii 'e to provide a pair of arm portionsto each side oi gaid siitfsaid" slit aiiording a passage for of thearticle within the aperture by bringin lfld article to a point adjacentthe outer'end r said slit and pressing the same inwardly towads the axisoi said apeture while wipingsaid article along the edge of said bodywhereby portions will be flexed out of their normal plane te -widen thegap'provided by said slit to an- I that the article may be received wihlnmfi rture, the resilience of the rubber W to firmly grip againstdisniacementi'an article disposed within said aperture' -and said body'being formed in its .Ontu edge with mutually converging surfaces .toeither side eij-said slit to furnish a guide for the article as it isbeing placed in association with the body.

3. A support including a relatively thin rubber body formed with anaperture to receivean elongated article having a diameter greater thanthat oi the aperture, said bod slitted irom'its outer edge through tosaid aperture to provide a pair of arm portions to'each side of saidslit, said slit aiiording a passage ior the insertion oi the articlewithin the aperture by bringing said article to a point adjacent theouter and of said slit and pressing thesame inwardly towards the axis ofsaid aperture while wiping 314' ar icle along the edge of said bodywhereby said-arm portions will be nexedrout of their normal'piape towiden the gap provided by said'fslit to' an extent .1, a such that thearticle may be received within said aperture, the resilience oi therubber sullcient to firmly grip against displacement-Zaharticledisposedwithin said aperture, and said body .16

being formed with recesses in the edge of the aperture and to eitherside of said slit whereby to enhance the flexibility of said armportions.

4. A support including a relatively thin rubber body formed with anaperture to receive an elongated article having a diameter greater thanthat of the aperture, said body being slitted from its outer edgethrough to said aperture to provide a pair of arm portions to each sideof said slit, said slit affording a passage for the insertion of thearticle within the aperture by bringing said article to a point adjacentthe outer end of said slit and pressing the same inwardly towards theaxis of said aperture while wiping said article along the edge of saidbody whereby said arm portions will be flexed out of their normal planeto widen the gap provided by said slit to an extent such that thearticle may be received within said aperture, the resilience of therubber being suflicient to firmly grip against displacement an articledisposed within said aperture, and the aperture through said body beingeccentrically disposed with reference to the outer edges of said body,the maximum width of said body, between its aperture and outer edge,being substantially diametrically opposite said slit.

5. A support including a relatively thin rubber body formed with anaperture to receive an clongated article having a diameter greater thanthat of the aperture, said body being slitted from its outer edgethrough to said aperture to provide a pair of arm portions to each sizeof said slit, said slit affording a passage for the insertion of thearticle within the aperture by bringing said article to a point adjacentthe outer end of said slit' and pressing the same inwardly towards theaxis of said aperture while wiping said article along the edge of saidbody whereby said arm portions will be flexed out of their normal planeto widen the gap provided by said slit to an extent such that thearticle may be received within said aperture, the resilience of therubber being suflicient to firmly grip against displacement an articledisposed within said aperture, the aperture through said body beingeccentrically disposed with reference to the outer edges of said body,the maximum width of said body, between its aperture and outer edge,being substantially diametrically opposite said slit, a support formedwith a recess of a height substantially equal to that of said body, thatportion of the disk which presents maximum width being disposed withinsaid recess, and means for securing such portion of the body within saidrecess with the aperture and arm portions of the body disposed beyondsaid support.

DANIEL K. COPELL.

